Student Union & Activities in the Summer
It’s a question all of the Student Union & Activities staff are asked on a regular basis, “So what do you do in the summer?”
Really, it’s a valid question. Many people know we work with students and they know that many students aren’t on campus for the summer. So, what do we do all summer? Let us tell you!
Mary, the Admin Office Manager, is currently spending part of her days going through old paperwork that can be destroyed. Sounds really exciting, doesn’t it? But it is a necessary project so that we don’t end up buried under mountains of old files! Fun Fact: We have to keep records for seven (yes, seven!) years before they can be destroyed. In addition, she is balancing plenty of other projects related to budgets, payroll, and day-to-day tasks.
Steve, the Interim Assistant Director for Leadership and Organizations, is spending part of this week at a conference. When he’s in the office, though, he keeps busy with multiple projects. He is working on hiring student staff for next year, improving the Dragon Leadership Program, planning for better assessment of other leadership programs, and preparing for student organizations to start up again in the fall. He’s one busy fox!
Braden, the Assistant Director for Event Services has many projects on his plate this summer. From keeping up with wedding receptions in the Ballroom and making plans for deep cleaning every inch of the building, Braden has his hands full! On top of those projects, he also is working on an upgrade to the web-based campus calendar, upgrades to technology in the CMU, and upgrades to other spaces in the student union, including the director’s office to welcome Layne as our new director.
Becky, the Assistant Director for Campus Activities and Greek Life, never has trouble staying busy! Over the summer, she spends a good portion of time preparing for MSUM Homecoming (#DragonPride) so that the we full of events and awesomeness goes off without a hitch!. Along with Homecoming planing, she is taking some time to get a billion other things done (no, but seriously, it’s close to a billion–we’ve seen her to-do list!)
Annie, the Assistant Director for Communications and Student Engagement, also has a to-do list she’s working to check things off of (currently it’s only 35 items long!). Some of her big projects for the summer include planning for a week of student leadership training, serving on the team that is preparing for Welcome Week’s Dragons After Dark event, and a variety of smaller, but still important, projects. She appreciates the phase, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” – Albert Einstein
Layne, our new Student Union and Activities Director, is spending some time this summer transitioning into his new role as director. In addition, his summer projects include making sure everything is falling into place for the renovation and several on-going projects that keep the student union running smoothly.
We also have some student workers around this summer — Sandy and Trista in the Admin Office and Megan in the Office of Student Activities. They are helping out on all kinds of projects, everything from making reservations to accounting to Dragon Days and more! Honestly, we’re so glad to have them around this summer.
So there you have it – a small snapshot of what we do in the student union during the summer months!